Archive for February, 2013

Monday I had my OB appointment. I should note that I grew used to the appointments in Germany: pee in a cup, pour it into a test tube, weight, vitals, ultrasound, and sometimes a second BP check depending on what my initial reading was. That OB knew I got nervous everytime I had an appointment and that I relaxed after seeing my baby.

Here things are different. I still get weighed and pee in a cup, but now it is a Doppler instead of the ultrasound. I never had a Doppler at an appointment before. The nurse had the boys help out. They got a huge kick out of it! The HR was 153 that morning. I should also note the nurse had the Doppler hang out below my belly button and told her I have felt baby on the right. She looked puzzled at me and moved it to the right and there was the sound of galloping horses. 🙂

The OB told me to make my next appointment and then a few weeks after that I’d get the anatomy scan ultrasound. I mentioned that at the front desk and the nurse came by. She said I was only 13 weeks and 2 days. However, the previous appointment, at the dating ultrasound, baby measured a week ahead. I kinda scratched my head at that and am going to keep saying I am approaching 15 weeks (Sat is the day). Even my fundal height matches a week ahead.

How am I feeling? My energy is returning. I discovered my morning sickness trigger…sweets! Yep, this baker cannot tolerate sweets. *sniffle*
This also means hubby tossed out what remained if the Tardis cake from the freezer.

Weight gain? Let’s not go there. I am not proud of it and the OB is not concerned. I will just aim to get more active and eat more fruit (fresh veggies and I do not get along this pregnancy).

Heartburn? Only when I have super spicy just a few hours before bed.

Craving? Jalapeño cheesy bread was my guilty pleasure this week. I also admit to making my hubby grab me a cheeseburger after dinner on Friday because baby -had- to have beef even if it was Lent. I felt guilty chowing down on a DQ burger in front of my husband.
Strawberries, I really want them…and lots of them!

I have also ventured into cloth diapers. Thanks to a deal on Amazon through GoGreen Diapers, I ordered one diaper. Now I have a 10% off code that I plan to use should I like the diaper. 🙂

Hi, it is so good to have finally made it to you! I can now tiptoe around a bit less and relax. Granted, I will not fully relax until my next appointment, but that is soon.

There is a lot of debate as to when you actually begin. Some argue 12, 13, or 14 weeks is the start. I tackled it with math. Yes, the woman who hates math used math to prove a point. 40/3=13.3, meaning roughly, 13 weeks 3 days, probably closer to 13 weeks 2 days, but playing it safe. 😉

Thanks for the morning sickness dissipating, can I have my energy back? My poor husband thinks it is ridiculous that I can no longer stay up past 9pm…sometimes not even that late.

Feel free to let this trimester drag on and on. This is the supposed “feel good” trimester. I call it the trimester of heartburn and hopefully not hemorrhoids. Yes, I went there because nearly every pregnant woman experiences them. Chances are, if you had them before, you will get them again and want to swear off future pregnancies because of them until you meet your sweet baby that makes you forget all about the pains in your rear.

Speaking of pains in the rear, sciatica has come for a visit. It makes me feel older than what I am. I plan to exercise it away and let my doc know about it too. If you have no idea what it feels like…imagine if someone could pinch you super hard, deep in the muscle of your toosh and only on one side. It makes you instantly hobble or stop dead in your tracks. My sciatica happens to be on my dominant side.

This trimester really isn’t all that bad. For one, you and others can feel the baby move soon. I have felt some thumping already on the right side, kinda like an occasional mini body slam. This would be my third time getting this far in pregnancy, so I am pretty confident it isn’t gas like some would suggest. I am pretty in tune with my body. I have intentionally poked where I felt movement to try to coax baby to “play”. It has worked, much to my amusement. Another awesome thing, the anatomy scan comes this trimester! Think pink for me will ya? There is not enough estrogen in this house. I have a Belle doll from Disney World that I have been told I cannot open until we have a girl. I wanna open it! Yes, my dormant girly side wants to play with dolls, do hair, and accessorize.

Another positive, my belly legitimately looks pregnant now. It isn’t a food baby belly anymore. Yay! I will have to add a photo later on when I am not in my pajamas.

God bless.

There ya go, 13wk3d pic of my belly! I did not want to put on makeup so that is why my face is not in it.

My husband said we were not going to do anything for Valentine’s since we are trying to save money and because we have our Strong Bonds retreat coming up. I agreed and went about the week making no plans.

Usually, I make heart pancakes for the kiddos but forgot syrup, leftover Tardis cake for them it was. I noticed that hubby hadn’t gotten his coffee or lunch prepped and I did that for him to be extra sweet today.

He came home just as the coffee finished brewing and he pulled two long stem roses from behind his back. Yes, I teared up and made him breakfast as I scurried about trying to find a vase. Then I read the note with the flowers and my nerd heart swelled…and I cried some more.

By no means do I consider myself a professional cake decorator. I am self taught and like to learn as I go. My husband’s birthday is coming up and I wanted to build him a Tardis cake.

Six layers of delicious chocolate cake enclosed in an ok buttercream (still need to find the perfect recipe).

There were many lessons learned in building this cake.

1. Expand food color collection. I could not get that lovely Tardis blue out of my small collection.

2. Support, when dealing with many dense layers of cake you need support or you get the leaning tower of cake effect. It looked straight when I got the whole thing frosted, but when I took a break before adding accents, it started to lean and buckle.

3. Make my own dang fondant no matter how crappy I feel. Sorry Wilton, I love most of your products but your pre-made fondant is blah and does not pair well with buttercream.

4. Do not attempt to make a monster cake like that with two kids at your heels. It makes you rush and do a mediocre job.

5. Do not let the cake beat you down. I verbally expressed while doing the final decorations if I should really open up my own bakery in the next 10 years. I was upset that this cake became a disaster so quickly. I snapped out of it though because I know I have had no one teach me how to do this (decorating, baking is what Mom and Gramma taught me), it is all trial and error.

I heard of a nice sale you all had recently on maternity clothes. I went to my local Target and I found plus sized clothes mixed in with maternity. The few maternity items that were around were size zero or size fourteen. What about us ladies in the middle? How about some proper care to the maternity section? We already feel fat and bloated, show some stuff with class and style and please do not set up maternity stuff next to the plus sized area. It makes our preggo brains go wonky.

Sincerely,

A pregnant woman in TX

Dear Wal-Mart,

Your maternity section has vanished! Why?!

Thank you,

A pregnant woman in TX

Dear Old Navy,

I do adore your stores. However, they lack a maternity section. A few years back they had them and now it is all online. I want to be sure my clothes for my ever changing body fit before I buy. It may be a hormonal thing, but sitting behind a computer monitor choosing clothes that aren’t in stores feels odd to me. I like shopping and having a sales rep there to assist and give tips. Please bring the maternity sections back!

Sincerely,

A pregnant woman in TX

Sears and JC Penny,

I was told you all had maternity. Soon as I walked in each of your stores, sales reps were chatting away at each other and seemed bothered that I even asked anything at all. When I asked about maternity, I was directed online. Please see the above note to Old Navy.

Thank you,

A pregnant woman in TX

Yes, I do live in a smaller city in TX, but one should not have to drive two hours to find maternity clothes. All you big chains lost business from me as I found a local consignment shop with most of what I needed for what I would have spent on one or two items in most of your stores. Why are pregnant women getting brushed aside and pushed behind their computers or forced to do the pee-pee dance during a two hour car ride? Pregnant women are people too. We are around any time of the year and we birth you more future customers.

Yes, I do know Motherhood Maternity exists and they have great stuff. Again, it is a nice car ride away and I am not fond of their prices. I love their personable staff and their willingness to help. Mostly, I go there for their cheap bras because “my girls” expand to beyond average sizes that I’d be forced to buy more online…again. You’ve got it, this pregnant lady is already sporting nursing bras because that is all she can find in her size!

PR folks, this is all for you. I really do not expect a response, but I do expect a change. This frustrated cry does not only come from me, but from many women with child. We are hormonal, we get that…but the least you could do is help us feel a bit more human again.